Healthy toddler snacks?

mcp

I'd like to propose to my daycare some alternative snacks that are healthier and less processed.  I currently send snacks with my son and set limits on which center snacks he can and cannot have, however I can see that as he gets older it's going to get harder and harder to tell him he can't have what the other kids are having.  Or maybe I need to relax my expectations?  I don't allow or I limit snacks like graham crackers, saltines, ritz, canned fruit in syrup, and nilla wafers (the center does provide other fruit, veggies, etc that I allow him to have).  Any suggestions on what I can propose to replace some of the less healthy stuff? 

MrsWindyCity

We basically tell DCP not to give him anything with HFCS, and then just to generally limit processed things. He still has graham crackers, goldfish, etc. (not Ritz because of the hfcs), just not a ton, which I'm ok with. Depending on the day, they also  have things like bagels, fruit, cottage cheese, yogurt.

We provide them with cheese sticks, fruit juice-sweetened cereal bars, natural applesauce, and Annie's crackers. We occasionally take the fruit packed in their own juices, but not often (so expensive). We might do that more now in the winter that less fruits are available. 

nosoup4u

Cheese sticks, deli meats, nut butters, hummus w veggies. Deli meat is always popular in our house, and it's not very messy.

sosoph

I would start by sending things you plan to suggest to them - maybe they'll see something they'd like to try for others. I like my DC snacks about half the time, but would like to see more whole grains. ideas: veggie sticks with dip; falafel; hummus with whole wheat pita; fruit slices with dip; whole wheat tortilla pinwheels

mcp

Thank you for your suggestions!  I guess it's the lack of whole grains that bothers me the most, and I'd just like to see the graham crackers and such limited a bit more on their menu.  But I agree, I need to relax a bit with that stuff.

emilydholmes1

We switched DCP a month ago for several reasons. But one of them was that I wasn't happy with the high-processed stuff at his old place.

The new one is MUCH better and gives snacks like pita bread with cheese, apples, homemade cereal bar, etc. He does get the occasional cracker snack but it's about twice a week so I feel okay about it.

Other snacks he likes you could suggest are raisins, pita bread, hummus, veggie sticks, grapes, etc.